The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Friday urged Algerian authorities to release two detained journalists, stating that the country must stop cracking down on press freedom.
The two journalists, Omar Ferhat and Sofiane Ghirous, worked for the news website Algeria Scoop and were arrested last month. The journalists were charged with inciting hate speech for publishing a video that showed two businesswomen who were “protesting their mistreatment at a government-sponsored event.”
CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna stated:
The recent court decision to detain Algeria Scoop journalists Omar Ferhat and Sofiane Ghirous for their reporting is a clear indication of President Tebboune’s intolerance for independent journalism ahead of the presidential elections … Algerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Ferhat and Ghirous, drop all charges against them, and allow journalists to work freely without fear of arrest.
The arrest of Ferhat and Ghirous highlights the increasing repression faced by journalists in Algeria since President Abdelmadjid Tebboune came to power in 2019. Journalists have been subject to lengthy jail sentences on weak charges, with legal fees taking a heavy toll on some news outlets.
Reporters Without Borders ranked Algeria 139th out of 180 countries on its 2024 World Press Freedom Index, which is three spots lower than last year’s ranking. The organization stated, “The media landscape in Algeria has never been so deteriorated … Threats and intimidation against journalists are on the rise and there is no protection mechanism.”
The 2024 index found that Algeria is one of many countries in the Middle East and North Africa region where press freedom is deteriorating. Reporters Without Borders noted that Syria is one of the most prominent jailers of journalists and that in Tunisia journalists who criticize the president are arrested and questioned.
As Algeria prepares for its September presidential elections, with President Tebboune likely seeking a second term, the CPJ and other organizations are calling for an end to the repression and for the protection of journalists’ rights to report freely and without fear of retribution.
